Knuth’s Cleveland offers Brecksville community an elevated shopping experience

by Adriana Gasiewski

The sound of hangers rattling on clothing racks, popping champagne bottles and chatter expressing excitement about the opening of Knuth’s Cleveland’s new Brecksville location filled the air in the boutique on Sept. 2.

Because Knuth’s has been a Northeast Ohio staple since 1960, when Knuth’s owner Penny Duijser bought the company in 2025 she set her sights on expanding the company.

She determined Brecksville would be a prime location for the company’s growth, especially when she caught wind of the Valor Acres mixed-use development project.

“I started to look at our customer base and I realized that we had a lot of customers from Brecksville that were driving to Landerwood,” Duijser said. “So, I thought it’d be awesome to bring us closer to them.”

Prior to launching its soft opening in Brecksville at 8249 Chippewa Rd. on Aug. 15, Knuth’s operated storefronts in Landerwood Plaza in Pepper Pike and in Jefferson Square in Westlake, as well as a pop-up store in Legacy Village for four months.

Duijser launched the pop-up location in November 2025 and used the pop-up as a means to start building the boutique’s Brecksville staff.

“It was great because it was like our dry run,” she said, noting the opportunity allowed her to hire new employees for the Brecksville location, including store manager Jody Johnson. “It was only meant to be a pop-up, so it opened and closed because then we carried it on here.”

Having been a longtime customer of Knuth’s, when Duijser was presented with the opportunity to purchase the company, she said she couldn’t pass it up.

“I heard [Sherri Knuth Bryan and her husband, John Bryan] wanted to retire and it was for sale for a while,” she said. “I decided that I didn’t want it to leave the community because I thought it was a great community store, a boutique that we all loved to shop at.”

Following its soft opening, Knuth’s Brecksville location has already found its community as residents have welcomed it with open arms.

“We had a soft opening, and we had an overwhelming turnout,” Duijser said. “We thought it would be good, but we didn’t realize how supportive people were. We had customers coming here all day.”

Carrying an assortment of affordable and luxury brands, including Alice + Olivia, Moussy Vintage and Steve Madden, Knuth’s has something for every shopper. The shop also offers styling services, helping it stand out among its competition.

“When you come in here, we guarantee that you have stylists that will help dress you, tell you what looks good on you, put outfits together for you — that’s the difference,” Duijser said. “They don’t just escort you to the dressing room, they actually dress you and make sure the size fits.”

To work with a stylist, customers can visit Knuth’s website at shop-knuths.com, schedule a one-on-one appointment and complete a quick questionnaire.

Following the storefront’s grand opening, Duijser wants customers to know that the boutique brings in new merchandise daily and is open to suggestions about what other designers they should carry.

“We brought in Brochu Walker, which is our No. 1 brand, because a customer asked, so people should come in,” she said. “We get new stuff every day — they should ask for what they need. If you’re coming in and we don’t have your size or color, we’ll order it for you.”

Photo caption: Knuth’s Cleveland’s new Brecksville location features a combination of affordable and luxury options in clothing, jewelry, shoes, accessories and more. Photo by Adriana Gasiewski.